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Single Idea 7105

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 1. Deontology ]

Full Idea

It has been argued that by 'maxim' Kant does not mean a specific intention for some discrete act, but the underlying intention by which the agent orchestrates his numerous more specific intentions, ...which leads to a virtue reading of Kant.

Gist of Idea

If 'maxims' are deeper underlying intentions, Kant can be read as a virtue theorist

Source

report of Immanuel Kant (Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals [1785]) by Daniel Statman - Introduction to Virtue Ethics §7

Book Ref

'Virtue Ethics', ed/tr. Statman,Daniel [Edinburgh 1997], p.28

A Reaction

Kant admired virtue of character, and would want to fit it into the framework of his moral duties. Nevertheless a virtue would often seem to be beyond words, and principles seem to crumble in the face of complex cases.

The 24 ideas with the same theme [moral theories centring on the idea of duty]:

5252 'Enkrateia' (control) means abiding by one's own calculations [Aristotle]
3549 Ariston says rules are useless for the virtuous and the non-virtuous [Ariston, by Annas]
19407 We want good education and sociability, rather than lots of moral precepts [Leibniz]
6257 You can't form moral rules without an end, which needs feelings and a moral sense [Hutcheson]
4024 Kant follows Rousseau in defining freedom and morality in terms of each other [Taylor,C on Kant]
7105 If 'maxims' are deeper underlying intentions, Kant can be read as a virtue theorist [Kant, by Statman]
7625 We can ask how rational goodness is, but also why is rationality good [Putnam on Kant]
3710 The only purely good thing is a good will [Kant]
3715 Other causes can produce nice results, so morality must consist in the law, found only in rational beings [Kant]
3737 The will is good if its universalised maxim is never in conflict with itself [Kant]
20715 It is basic that moral actions must be done from duty [Kant]
2915 Each person should devise his own virtues and categorical imperative [Nietzsche]
7185 Replace the categorical imperative by the natural imperative [Nietzsche]
8065 'Ought' and 'right' are survivals from earlier ethics, and should be jettisoned [Anscombe]
8069 Between Aristotle and us, a Judaeo-Christian legal conception of ethics was developed [Anscombe]
22391 Saying we 'ought to be moral' makes no sense, unless it relates to some other system [Foot]
5077 The modern idea of obligation seems to have lost the idea of an obligation 'to' something [Taylor,R]
4113 'Deon' in Greek means what one must do; there was no word meaning 'duty' [Williams,B]
3261 Something may be 'rational' either because it is required or because it is acceptable [Nagel]
20276 Conflict of rules might be avoided by greater complexity, or by a hierarchy of rules [Singer]
3784 Duty prohibits some acts, whatever their consequences [Glover]
3550 Principles cover life as a whole, where rules just cover actions [Annas]
4327 Deontologists do consider consequences, because they reveal when a rule might apply [Hursthouse]
4335 'Codifiable' morality give rules for decisions which don't require wisdom [Hursthouse]